Private airlines move Supreme Court on ground handling policy

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday sought the government’s stand on a plea challenging its ground handling policy at metro and some other airports.

Issuing notices to the civil aviation ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and others on a petition by a private airlines federation, justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik sought a response within two weeks and adjourned the matter till April 25.

The court also asked the government if outsourcing ground handling duties by private airlines would not affect their efficiency and time-bound services.

The Centre had forbid private airlines from doing the job citing security concerns.

The private airlines federation had moved court challenging the Delhi High Court order last month upholding the government plea of restraining private airline operators from continuing ground handling operations.

The private airlines, in its petition, pointed out that while the government has asked them to outsource their ground handling services at six metro and some other airports, the new policy is not applicable to Jammu, Amritsar and Kochi airports.

The court has declined to stay the Delhi High Court order and asked various private airlines to enter into an agreement with the respective firms (government-approved agencies) for outsourcing their ground handling duties.

The government’s policy allows only national carrier Air India and the airport operator (such as Airports Authority of India, GMR and GVK) to render ground handling services.

Ground handling includes general administration, baggage, freight and mail handling, loading and unloading of aircraft and transport of crew, passengers and baggage, fuel handling and catering services.

The petition claims the new policy violates the airlines’ right of self-handling and would lead to 3,000 job losses.

The government first proposed the consolidation of ground-handling functions in a 2007 policy that has been extended on multiple occasions.